


The First Closing

by riventhorn



Category: The Eagle | Eagle of the Ninth (2011)
Genre: F/F, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-07 22:39:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/436230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riventhorn/pseuds/riventhorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Esca paused in the doorway, letting her fingers curl around the wooden frame. Maria hadn’t noticed her yet, and she took the opportunity to study her lover—and her commander. No matter what had happened, Maria would always be those things to her. </i>  AU with always-a-girl!Esca and always-a-girl!Marcus. With some armor!kink for good measure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Closing

Esca paused in the doorway, letting her fingers curl around the wooden frame. Maria hadn’t noticed her yet, and she took the opportunity to study her lover—and her commander. No matter what had happened, Maria would always be those things to her. Maria Flavia Aquila, the first Roman to look at their troop of auxiliaries and see the potential, despite their uncouth appearance, with all the strange tattoos and piercings. The first person to look at Esca and see past her bitterness to the loneliness underneath.

Maria’s hair was growing out of its short military cut now, and the dark strands brushed against the line of her jaw. She had her leg propped up on the couch and was frowning down at the book in her hands, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Esca loved that about her—the way she devoted her whole being to the task at hand, completely dedicated. Maria was wearing a loose, dark shirt, and it slipped down on one shoulder, revealing the white strap of her bra.

Damn. That never failed to turn Esca on.

She rapped her knuckles on the door, and Maria glanced up, instantly at the ready, years of training too ingrained to disappear in a few months.

“Esca,” Maria said, relaxing into a smile. “You’re back early.”

“How’s your leg?” she asked, coming into the room and sitting down next to Maria. 

A grimace. “Better, I suppose.” She shrugged. “It will never be completely healed. Never good enough for me to lead troops again.”

It was the first time she had admitted it out loud. Progress, or so Esca hoped. 

“But better, yes? Perhaps tomorrow we can walk into the market and find some of those honey-cakes you like so well.” 

“I’m not some child, to be placated with sweets,” Maria snapped.

Despite herself, Esca couldn’t help feeling a little hurt at that. Going to the market on Saturdays had been a tradition for them, ever since that day when they had stumbled back into the city after retrieving their Eagle, weary and battered, and had stopped at the little stall and shared a honey-cake, savoring the sweetness and the happiness of being home.

Maria noticed, and sighed. “I’m sorry, Esca. I didn’t mean it like that. Only, I do not know what I shall do with myself now. I don’t want to live the rest of my life as a useless bit of baggage that you must cart around with you wherever you go.”

“It would never be so with us,” Esca protested, grabbing her hand and wrapping their fingers together. 

“Perhaps.” Maria gave her a small smile. “But you will be promoted soon, and have responsibilities that will take you far from Calleva. I don’t—I don’t want to sit around waiting for you to return.”

“I know.” Esca pulled her closer, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “But it will not happen.”

“I fail to see why not,” Maria argued, sounding a touch bitter, even though she tried to hide it. 

“It will not happen because I have resigned my commission. I signed the paperwork this morning.”

“Esca!” Maria pulled away, shocked. “Why—no, no I won’t let you do this. Not for me.”

“I didn’t do it for you. I did it for us,” Esca told her.

“But...” Maria shook her head. “After everything, Esca. You can’t just throw it away. Isca Dumnonorium—and the Eagle—and your _mother_ , Esca.”

“She always told me to follow my heart,” Esca replied. “And that is what I am doing.”

They argued for a while longer, and Esca was sure it would take some days for Maria to accept her decision. But Maria at last relented for the moment, kissing her softly and breathing a quiet “thank you” and “I love you” against her cheek. Esca hugged her close, and they ended up stretched on the couch, Maria resting on top of her, Esca stroking her fingers through her dark hair. Her other hand slid under Maria’s shirt, resting against the warm skin of her back. 

Maria lay quietly at first, but then she turned a little and sought Esca’s mouth, kissing more insistently. Esca let her hand wander upwards and stroked along the cotton edges of Maria’s bra, tracing the strap where it curved over her shoulder. 

“I think we should take this to the bedroom,” Esca suggested, mindful of Maria’s leg. Maria nodded, and they got off the couch, although Maria let her lead the way down the hallway.

“Staring at my ass?” Esca asked, amused. Maria flushed, but she didn’t look away.

“Keep your underwear on,” Esca told her when they had shut the door and pulled the curtain shut. Maria did as she requested, laying down on the bed in her white cotton bra and panties. Such a practical choice--many would say boring, but Esca loved it.

Esca was still wearing her uniform—sandals winding up her ankles, leggings, the long tunic edged with the colors of their unit, and the leather _lorica segmentata_ , laced across her chest. She was about to undo the lacings when she paused, fingers tangled in the cord. “This is the last time I’ll wear this.” Anxiety flooded Maria’s eyes again, so Esca quickly added, “Shall I fuck you with it still on?”

The anxiety turned to desire. “Yes,” Maria said, spreading her legs a little. “Yes, Esca.”

Pleased, Esca climbed onto the bed, straddling Maria’s hips. Unlike Esca’s small breasts, Maria’s swelled against the cotton, and Esca loved to weigh them in her hands, squeezing their fullness. She bent down and lapped at one of Maria’s nipples, getting the cotton wet, sucking until it stiffened into a peak. At last she tugged the fabric down, licking bare skin with her tongue and then blowing a stream of cool air against it. Maria shivered and dug her nails into Esca’s armor.

Sitting up, Esca gently tucked Maria’s breast back into her bra, cupping her hand around it again for a moment before turning her attention elsewhere. Maria’s panties were already damp, and Esca rubbed her fingers there, her eyes focused on Maria’s face, cataloguing the expressions that shifted across it. 

Maria kept dragging her eyes over Esca’s body, lingering on the leather armor.

“You’ve wanted this for a long time, haven’t you?” Esca said. “I bet you were dreaming about this—bending me over your chair, perhaps. Or maybe putting me on my knees on the parade ground.” 

Maria swallowed. “Yes,” she admitted. “Since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

Esca’s lust surged at the admission, and she peeled down Maria’s panties, letting them tangle around her ankles. She crept her fingers over Maria’s thighs, teasing, thumbs getting closer to her cunt but not quite touching.

“Tell me what else you thought about,” she ordered, skimming one finger very quickly along Maria’s labia and watching her jerk.

“I—I wanted you to get on all fours,” Maria said. “I wanted to push up your tunic and--and put the tip of my _vitis_ into your cunt. Twist it just right. Listen to you beg for it.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Esca gasped. She pushed a finger into Maria, crooking it so that it pressed against her g-spot. “Like this?”

“Yes-- _yes_.” Maria sucked in a gasp. “And when you had come, I would get down behind you and lick up all the juices seeping out of your cunt. And then I’d make you suck the _vitis_ clean.”

Esca added another finger. “And then?” she prompted, enthralled by the flush on Maria’s face, the filthy words falling out of her mouth. She had never seen her like this--so undone, so wanton.

“And then I’d make you stand in a corner and watch while I fingered myself and—and fondled my breasts.”

“I’m having a hard time figuring out why this never happened,” Esca said, breathless, and Maria laughed before her cunt tightened around Esca’s fingers, turning the laugh into a moan.

“I—I was your commander, Esca. I would have never—never—” She stopped, pushing her hips up, shutting her eyes as her orgasm swelled. Esca watched the rapid rise and fall of her breasts, felt the involuntary clenching and unclenching of her cunt. 

When Maria went limp, she pulled out her fingers, dragging them up Maria’s stomach in a slick trail. She lay down by her side, then, rubbing her face against the warm, silky skin of Maria’s shoulder.

“What about you?” Maria asked, running her hand over Esca’s short hair.

“Later. I just want to lie here with you for a moment. It isn’t too uncomfortable?” she added, for the leather armor was pressing into Maria’s skin.

Maria shook her head. “No. It feels—familiar, and the smell reminds me--” Her breath hitched, and she blinked rapidly, trying to stop the threatening tears.

“It will get better, in time,” Esca said softly, kissing her cheek. Trying to lighten the mood again, she added, “And if you ever have any more of these fantasies, I trust you will tell me. I’d quite like to try some of them out.”

Maria managed a laugh. “Oh, would you? And I suppose you have a few of your own.”

“A few.” Esca smiled, thinking of tattoos and bathtubs and a set of green, lacy lingerie that would match Maria’s eyes. 

“Do you think we’ll ever have anything like it again?” Maria asked after a while, and Esca knew she was referring to the closeness and companionship, the sense of trust and friendship that came with going into battle together and facing down their enemies side by side.

“I think we shall carry it with us always,” Esca replied.

**Author's Note:**

> The title references the Emily Dickinson poem "My Life Closed Twice Before Its Close." So yeah--porn with a pretentious title. ;)


End file.
